Contact member for electric switching devices.



CONTACT' MEMBER FOR ELEGTRIG SWITHHG DEVIGBS,

PPLUATION FILED JULY 6, 12508 Patented Jan.17,1911

v l /f/ v f f l a f lll. $4.. :la 1. E, 1|

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CURTIS A. TUCKER, 0F EDGEWOOD PABII, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EASTPITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT MEMBER FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHING DEVICES.

Specification of Lett-ers Patent.

"atented Jan. 17, 1911.

l Application filed July 6, 1908. Serial No. 442,224.

To all lwhom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Courts TVCKER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ContactMembers for Electric. Switching Devices, of which the following is asp'ecification.

My invention relates to Contact members for circuit breakers and other'electric switching devices and it has for its object to provide a simpleand efficienty Contact member, the component parts of which shall hecompactly arranged and the contact ,portion of which shall beresiliently supported.

Circuit interrupters which are adapted to transmit relatively largeelectric currents at high voltages often comprise one or more groups ofstationary contact members which project downwardly from a suitablesupport and a movable bridging contact member to cooperate therewith. Insuch structures, the movable bridging members are usually provided withcylindrical contact blocks which are resiliently secured to the bridgingarm and are electrically connected thereto by means ot a fiexible shuntconductor.

In order to simplify the nu 'able contact member, I resiliently mountthe lower portions or contact blocks of thc stationary contact membersand establish electrical connections between the contact. blocks and therigid terminals above them by means of flexible tubular conductors, thearrangement of parts bein" such that the resilient supports for theblocks are disposed within the flexible tubes.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional elevation of aportion ot' a circuit interrupter having cooperating stationary andmovable Contact members constructed in accordance with my invention andFig. 2 is a detail view of the tubular shunt conductor which isassociated with the stationary contact member, v Referring to thcdrawings, the, mechanism hereJ illustrated comprises a substam tiallyhorizontal supporting platel which may constitute a part of a well-knownform of circuit interrulpter, a tank 2 secured to the plate l andadapted tol, contain insulating fluid, a stationary tcrn'inial 3, aninsulating bushing 4 therefor, a cylindrical contact terminal L3 and amovable bridging member 6' which cooperates with the stationary members.

The downwardly projecting portion S of the stationary terminal 3 isscrew-threaded and is disposed in the center of' a flange or bell i' ofinsulation which forms a part of the bushing ft. The lower endfof theterminal projection 8 is materially reduced in size and is bored out toreceive a shank') that projects from the contactblock 5, a lost motionconnection being provided between thc two parts by means ot a transversepin 10 which extends through a longitudinal slot 11 in the shank i). Theportion of the shank which adjacent to the contact block 5 is materiallylarger in I ialneter than its upper portion and a helical spring 12surrounds the smaller portion and is intcrposed between the lower end ofthe rojcction 8 and the shoulder 13 formed y the upper end of the,enlarged portion of the shank. A tube 14 is fitted upon the lower end ofthe projection 8, which is yof less diameter than the screw-threadedportion, and

extends downwardly therefrom over the spring l2 and the cylindricalsurface of the larger `portion of the shank y9.` SurrmmdA ing the tubel1 is a sleeve which comprises a bushing 15, a ficxible tubularconductor 16 (preferably of' copper fabric)and a cap 17.

The shank 9 is removably attached to the body of the block 5 by means ofa screwthreaded projection 1S) with which the shank is provided. Afterthe shank 0, the spring 12 and the tube 11 are assembled in posltion,the outer'sleeve 16 is slipped over these parts into position,theybushing 15 heilig screwed upon the projection 8 and the cap 17 beingprovided with the hole` 18 through which the screw-threaded /projection19 may project.'

that a material adjustment of the contact blockfis permitted withouttending to injure or rupture its fabric and, by this means, a materlal'saving in the space occupied by the contact member is effected.'

The movable bridging contact member comprisesa rod or shaft '20 having across arm 21 at its lower end on which the contact blocks are carried.The blocks are adapted to engage. the. stationary contact blocks 3 andare detachably secured to the cross arm. The contract surface of themovable block is provid'e't'l with a small hole 23 which is materiallyenlarged below the surface and cooperates )vith a similar hole in thecross arm to t'ornt a funnel-shaped opening Q4. Tl usual oil jetagailht' the contact surfaces when they are separated .suddenly inopening the interruptor.

It will be understood that rations structural modifications may beetl'cctcd within the scope ot' my invention and that either of thecontact members may ne considered as stationary and, consequently.- ldesire that only such limitations .shall be imposed as arc indicated inthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a switching device, the con'ibimition iis opening .serves toproduce the with a terminal, a contact member movably g connected to andsupported by said terminal.

and a second Contact member cooperating therewith, of a exible tubularshunt surrounding the connection between the terminal and its contactmember and having its 'respective ends fastened to said terminaland 'to:aid contact member.

with a stationary terminal, and a contact block secured thereto by alost-motion connection, of a copeating contact terminal,

vagoni and a flexible tubular shunt surrounding the lost-motionconnection and having its respective ends fastened to said terminal andto said contact block.

I. In a switching device, the combination with a terminal having atubular portion, and a Contact block having a .shank that projects intosaid tubular portion and is .secured therein by a lost-motionconnection, of resilient. means interposed between said terminal andsaid contact block and a flexible tubular shunt surrounding said shankand resilient means and having its respective ends fas tened. to.sai-lterminal and to said contact block.

llln a ,switching device, the combination .vith a stationary terminalhaving a screwtln-cadcd portion and a tubular extension of reduceddiana-ter, and a contact block having a shank that projects into thetubular extension and attached thereto by a lostmotion connection. of aspring interposed between the end of the tubular extension and ihccontact block and tending to separate the part. a tubular guide securedto the tubular extension and a tubular shunt of woven conductingmaterial surrounding the tubular guide and electrically connecting theterminal and thc contact block together.

ln testimony whereof. l have hereunto subscrilmd my name this 24th dayof June5 C URTI A. T U CKE P.

t tooo. 2. In a switching device, the combination i Witness s:

A. 1I. BAKKEN, rimer I'lixes.

